When Thinking of Renovation, Where Do You Start?
You may be thinking about a room renovation or perhaps a bigger set of projects and are confused about where to begin. I get it. The first major decision is what room to focus on. Kitchens and bathrooms tend to bring in the greatest return on investment, but also tend to be the most costly and time intensive.
Regardless of what space you want to tackle, here are some steps that I suggest when undertaking a renovation on your own or with a contractor.
Take it From the Top
The unit next to mine is under construction. It’s been under construction since May of 2021. I know. I haven’t seen anyone there in a few weeks, but I did notice something that seemed off to me when the door was open one day and the crew was there. They had recently installed hardwood flooring throughout the unit, however, they were painting the ceilings when I looked in. All I could think of was the beautiful hardwood floors they just installed and what might become of them with paint falling on them. Not much was covered (another no no) and it seemed to make little or no sense to me.
Working from the top of a room down to the floor is the best approach for obvious reasons. You simply don’t need to be as careful about the floor having damage if it’s covered and/or you know you’ll be ripping up that old carpeting anyway. Let the paint fall where it may.
When I was renovating a condo on Cape Cod, it had that popcorn ceiling I’ve never liked. I decided I’d get that taken care of first – removed, sanded, spackled and finally painted before we began painting the walls, changing light fixtures, etc. (although I did have them remove light fixtures to ensure my new fixtures wouldn’t have the popcorn showing through). It seems like common sense, however, I see these mistakes happen far too often.
Then Move Onto the Walls – the Top of the Walls That is!
Here’s where personal preference from a professional painter can come in handy. Ceiling is always first, but if you are installing a trim molding, spraying the primer and paint on them is the best way to get a smooth finish. In this case the ceiling can be covered near the molding, but you won’t worry about the spray that hits the walls if they’re being repainted. Moldings come second after ceilings.
Walls, Trim, Doors and Baseboards
Personally, I like getting the trim, lower wall moldings and baseboards painted next – then the walls. Others may prefer a different approach. The point is we’re working in the direction of the floor (the last thing that will be finished) until or if new appliances or items such as vanities, toilets, etc. are being installed – then they go last. are but whether the walls, trim, moldings
The Floors Have It!
Finally, it’s time to tackle the floors. I installed hardwood floors in the Cape Cod condo after the painting was completed. It gave the floor installer more freedom to lay the floor down in the space, stain and polyurethane it and of course let it dry completely before we came back in with a couple of new appliances, etc.
If someone tries to convince you otherwise, I’d be hard pressed to understand the argument for that. It’s certainly worth discussing with your contractor before work begins. If you’re doing things yourself, then you’re in total control of how to do things in the order that makes the most sense to you. If you’re starting or thinking about a renovation, thinking ahead is the best way to begin. Just know that things unfortunately don't always go according to plan. There tends to be delays, challenges and the occasional mistakes or miscommunication that takes place and slows things down as well. In the end though, I’ve never known anyone to be disappointed with the results of a renovation. Myself included. I’ve done a lot of them!
Have you tried doing a renovation in a different order? How did it work out? Tag me in your stories or in my comments on Instagram @nancymichaelsinteriors and let m e know! I’d love to hear from you… Also, if you know a friend who this blog would be useful for, please don’t hesitate to share it!